Nana Nwachukwu Condemns Suspension of Twitter by Federal Govt
- The suspension of Twitter in the Nigerian internet space continues to generate reactions in the country
- Many Nigerians continue to kick against the ban while giving reasons why the move is counter-productive
- A research expert and tech enthusiast says the move is an attempt to stifle free speech and illegally deny citizens their rights
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FCT, Abuja - Nana Nwachukwu, a legal consultant, activist, and research expert, has condemned the suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government.
Nwachukwu who spoke on the ban during an exclusive interview with Legit.ng on Monday, June 7, described the action of the Nigerian government as repressive.
According to her, the move by the Buhari-led administration has taken Nigeria down so many achievement notches.
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Her words:
“Nigeria's current government promised jobs and didn't fulfill them. Jobs were created by young people using digital technology, but now, those jobs suddenly drop.
“There is a matrix for checking what Nigeria loses every hour that there is a Twitter ban and it is more than $6million because of an aggregation of the adverts and the rest of them that young people use Twitter to do.
“Beyond that, advocacy is heavily affected. Because, now, young people have to pay to access Twitter by using VPN and all that. That means if you don't have money, Nigeria has basically sold our voices, in a way that without money, you can't speak.
“Beyond that as well, it is every human being's right to have free speech. It is a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution.
“What this government is saying is we are going to take away your rights using executive orders, using illegal pronouncements because these things are not backed by any law of any sort. So, this is illegally taking away a citizen's right to free speech.”
She further advised the federal government to listen to the complaints of the people, stressing that engaging through Gestapo tactics is outdated.
Similarly, civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa has expressed dismay over the indefinite suspension of Twitter services in Nigeria by the federal government.
The group also frowned at the directive by the ministry of information that all Over-The-Top services must be licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission before they can operate within Nigeria.
The organisation said it is concerned that at a time when nations around the world are building mutually constructive relationships with citizens through diverse channels of communication, the Nigerian government is imposing a ban on Twitter.
Legit.ng had earlier reported that the federal government suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria.
The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, June 4.
The minister alleged that the platform was used for activities capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence.
Source: Legit.ng
